Skills in this area are related to understanding of sexual identity in oneself and others. Formal and slang vocabulary are included, as well as targets related to under what conditions one should use each type of vocabulary and how to recognize and avoid offensive language. This chapter has an additional section on identification of one's own sexual identity, and how and when to communicate that to others.

The Zones of Regulation is a widely implemented program for social-emotional regulation, including for students with autism. To date, there is very little empirical evidence to show efficacy for the Zones of Regulation. According to standards published by the APA, National Standards Project, and National Clearinghouse of Autism Evidence and Practice, the Zones of Regulation does not meet the standards for an evidence-based practice. The authors provide suggestions in support of additional empirical study of Zones of Regulation.

This domain covers skills pertaining to the law. For good reason, laws related to sexual acts are strict. This domain covers skills relating to awareness of, and obeying laws related to age of consent, pornography, public sexual acts, and assault. It is important to note that laws vary by jurisdiction and those teaching them should be aware of the law in the geographic settings relevant to their learner.

This book has taken us through a number of topics relevant to sexuality and sexual safety for autistic individuals. The goal of this book was to openly discuss and outline the issues requiring our collective attention, with the hope that the sexual needs of autistic individuals can be more widely acknowledged and consistently supported.

In general, individuals with autism spectrum disorder have poor outcomes in adulthood on almost any measure assessed. Poor outcomes, in part, may be related to inadequate planning leading up to adulthood, including inappropriate goal setting, ineffective communication, and inadequate involvement of all decision-makers needed to inform planning. The skills in the repertoires of individuals on the spectrum have been shown in the research to directly impact the trajectory of outcomes. Yet, at present there is next to no peer-reviewed literature that identifies evidence-based procedures to teach practitioners how to write meaningful goals that will positively impact these outcomes. The present study therefore examined the effects of a treatment package aimed at improving the quality of goals written by clinicians and students of applied behavior analysis. Overall, this study showed that for at least some participants, the independent variable improved the quality of skill acquisition goals, as measured by expert and advanced practitioner ratings as well as self-assessed ratings. Both experiments yielded statistically significant increases in both dependent variables for the experimental group, when compared to the control group. These promising initial findings have implications for practitioners who hope to adequately plan for the future of those they serve by targeting those skills that will positively affect outcomes.

This domain covers sexual acts. An understanding of sexual acts and the formal and casual language used to describe them is important, even if the individual has not demonstrated interest in the particular act. Understanding vocabulary is important as it pertains to the ability to give consent, and safety skills. Additionally, sexual acts may be discussed in nonsexual social situations, observed in TV, movies, and other media, or otherwise shared with the individual learner. Understanding the terminology and scope of the acts is a vital component to these situations. Finally, an understanding of various sexual acts will help inform an individual of their own interest (or disinterest) in engaging in them, leading to overall satisfaction within their own sexual life. As with masturbation, these skills should be targeted in consultation with the learner and the learner's family to ensure congruence with individual and family values and beliefs.

Outcomes in adulthood for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are poor in every area assessed (e.g., postsecondary education, employment, living arrangements, health and safety). As such, it is critical that interventions target the best outcomes across the lifespan and improve the overall quality of life. Given that targeting meaningful skill-acquisition goals can help affect positive changes in these outcomes, the intention of this paper was to conduct a systematic literature review of the research examining what has been done to improve the quality of goals written by educational and behavior analytic practitioners. However, the literature review yielded so few references that the focus of this paper shifted to an examination of available assessment and curriculum tools that help practitioners to write meaningful goals. Implications and recommendations for guiding clinical practice and research questions are discussed.T

This domain covers skills related to sexual abuse prevention and reporting. With the unfortunate reality that prevalence of abuse of people with autism spectrum disorders remains disproportionately high, this domain is of the utmost importance. It includes teaching skills related to recognition of acts that are abusive as well as precursors to these acts from both the point of view of the recipient of the act, and the perpetrator of the act. It also includes skills related to evaluating the safety of a situation in advance of being in the situation. One of the most important skills to teach is a functional protest, and several ways to teach this are outlined in this domain. Finally, while avoiding abusive situations is obviously ideal, it is important that individuals with autism can report unsafe or risky events to a safe person, and accurately recall the events. Skills that cover these areas are included as well.

This domain covers skills related to different types of relationships. It is sometimes challenging to have clear definitions of the type of relationship one finds themselves in, particularly if they desire to be in a different type of relationship. This domain covers skills related to understanding different types of relationships and the behaviors common within them. Skills also include demonstrating understanding of the fluent and transient nature of relationships, and a recognition and management of relationship change.

This domain covers skills related to problem solving and critical thinking which are important to short-term decision making (i.e., planning where to go on a date), longer-term problem solving (i.e., how to deal with conflict with a partner in a respectful way), and remaining safe (i.e., what should I do if I feel unsafe? Where can I find resources about abuse?). Skills in this domain will cover teaching in-the-moment problem solving, skills related to finding and procuring resources, and planning skills.

Safety is a significant clinical challenge in settings serving adults with developmental disabilities. Few resources exist to guide clinical teams in this realm; this study explored safety elements through interviews with experts in critical areas of safety management. The present study aimed to gather knowledge and insights regarding assessing risk among individuals with disabilities. Due to gaps in the available safety literature in adult services, interviews in related areas were conducted and analyzed for thematic content. This paper focuses on the extracted safety themes' categorization, summarization, and implications. The safety themes extracted from the interviews included environmental arrangements, medical, independent living skills, historical indicators of risk, family life skills, challenging behavior, and communication. The interviews identified areas of concern that might guide assessment and inform providers about the most individually relevant contexts to consider when supporting clients.